People working on the tops and sides of buildings, as well as other high structures, risk falling and suffering injury as a result. In modern society, building construction and building maintenance are areas that continue to expose workers to the risk of dangerous falls. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, work related falls are among the most common sources of work related severe injuries and death. (See, e.g., https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/fallprotection/). The Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that slips, trips and falls resulted in approximately 229,000 injuries per year (2011-2013) resulting in approximately 700 workplace deaths per year. Death from falls is second only to vehicle related deaths and account for roughly 16% of work related deaths. OSHA and ANSI I-14 provide standards to reduce the number and severity of workplace falls. Fall protection equipment must, perform under a wide variety of conditions while not hindering the ability of the workers to safely perform their jobs.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.